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Dunes at Whitesands Camping The Greener Camping Club
UK Wales South Wales Pembrokeshire St Davids
On a sunny day, Whitesands fully justifies its reputation as one of the UK's finest beaches. Famed for its sunsets, when the fiery reflections only accentuate the golden colour of the sand, and renowned as one of the top surf spots in Pembrokeshire, it offers ample space for families and a convenient sliding scale of surfing difficulty – the experienced will find the best waves off the headland on the right of the beach, novices should stick to the left.
Set back from the sands and just beyond the sea-front golf course, ‘Dunes’, a relatively new campsite that opened back in 2017, is the ideal, low-key camping meadow for basing your Whitesands break. There are just 18 camping pitches on offer, hewn into heathery thicket and grasslands, each with its own picnic table and fire-pit. They’re all overlooked by the rare breed Balwen sheep that graze the adjacent meadow.
While the place has a thoroughly laid-back feel – and ‘rustic’ is the buzzword – there are still proper flushing toilets, hot showers, a fridge and freezer space and charging points for mobile phones. Clever touches like the outdoor shower for rinsing off after the beach, show great attention to detail, while the semi-wilderness of the meadow itself lends the campsite to parents who don’t mind their children getting grass stains on their knees and molten marshmallows stuck in their woolly jumpers.
If you’re not at the beach, it’s just over a mile to the smallest city in Britain, where you can explore the cathedral that gives St Davids its city status and duck in and out of the various cafés and galleries. Or, stay on the coast and hop from cove to cove and bay to bay, taking in the other Pembrokeshire pleasures – Druidstone Beach, Newgale Beach, Caerfai Bay, Little Haven, St Non’s Bay, Marloes Beah… the list goes on. And that’s before you’ve even considered a ferry out to the islands!
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Details
Facilities
Each pitch has its own fire-pit, picnic table. New toilet block with family bathroom, 3 flushing WCs and 3 showers. In addition there is a partially covered outdoor hot water shower for rinsing off after the beach. The new facilities also house washing-up facilities, fridge and freezer space (ice-packs available for use) and charging points for your mobile phone. A washing machine is also available on request at an extra cost. Body-boards and beach gear for all to use.
Suitable For
Families, couples, walkers, small motorhomes, caravans, camper vans – yes. Dogs – no. The camping site is vehicle-free during the week. Cars can only access the camping pitches twice; once to pitch and once to strike camp. The only exception to this is the camper van / motorhome pitches (Chough, Kite, Buzzard, Hawk and Guillemot).
Nearby
Blue flag and surfer friendly Whitesands Beach is just a 10-minute walk away, skirting around St Davids City Golf Course (07527 004015) to get there. You can take boards from the campsite and throw yourselves into the waves or simply enjoy a little sand castle building. Its 1½ miles into St Davids itself. Famed for being Britain’s smallest ‘city’, it is really little more than a village. But it’s one of the most characterful villages in the country and very much characterised by its celtic heritage, most obviously in the Welsh language, which you’ll probably hear being spoken in shops and bars hereabouts. Visit the cathedral (01437 720202), the bishop's palace(01443 336 000) and explore the many galleries – Oriel-Y-Felin (01437 720 386) is a particular favourite – or stick to the coast with a ramble along the renowned Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
Food & Drink
The beach café offers a wide range of hot and cold food and is just a 10 minute stroll away. For everything else, St Davids is the place to go. It boasts many good Welsh pubs, including the Farmers Arms (01437 721666) and The Bishops (01437 720422) – both of which offer traditional pub fare. There are a handful of good restaurants in St Davids too, including The St Davids Gin & Kitchen (01437 720404). Slightly further afield The Shed (01348 831518) in Porthgain offers the best seafood.
Opening Times
April–September (week-long stays only during July and August).
Location
Contact Dunes at Whitesands Camping, Dunes at Whitesands, Craig-Y-Mor, Whitesands Bay, St Davids, Pembrokeshire, SA626PT
Getting There
At the Cross Square in St David’s take the A487 (Nun St) but, after 800m, turn off (left) onto the B4583, following signs to Whitesands Beach. After another 100m turn left and stay on the B4583. After 1 mile, and immediately after passing the Craig-Y-Mor B&B sign, turn left at the cross roads. The entrance to Dunes at Whitesands Camping is 100m on the left directly in front of the golf course club house.
There is a local bus service that stops 100m from the site entrance with links from St Davids to Haverfordwest and Fishguard. Trains from Haverfordwest connect to Cardiff and London Paddington.
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